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Throughout her diplomatic tenure, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright wore pins to portray her mood and reflect a message. Here’s the story behind a handful of the more than 200 brooches on display at the Denver Art Museum. Read more about the exhibit. (Photos by John Bigelow Taylor)
Americana Pins: Albright loved to wear Americana pieces like this Uncle Sam top hat and eagle
Liberty: This Statue of Liberty pin was made specifically for Albright. One of the eyes is an upside-down clock, allowing her to check the time during a meeting, while others could find out the time from the other “eye.”
Assorted Dragonfly Pins: Albright’s collection includes various animals, from the nice (turtles and butterflies) to the nasty (spiders and carniverous animals)
Serpent: Perhaps Albright’s most famous pin, this serpent was purposely worn after Saddam Hussein compared her to an “unparalleled serpent.”
Cowgirl Hat: Albright considers Denver her hometown, so it follows that she would have an assortment of Western pins, like this one, in her collection
Blue Bird: This stunning brooch was worn (with its head facing down) in 1996 in remembrance of Cuban exiles who were shot down by Cuban fighter pilots. The incident led to one of Albright’s most memorable quotes as Secretary of State: “Frankly, this is not cojones; this is cowardice.”
Breaking the Glass Ceiling: As the first female Secretary of State, Albright certainly broke the glass ceiling for those that followed her (Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton)
Colorful Bird: Some of Albright’s pins were worn just for fun
Hear No Evil: During NATO’s 50th anniversary summit, Albright, President Bill Clinton, and Secretary of Defense William Cohen were photographed acting out the well-known “hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil” mantra. Albright wore this pin when meeting with Vladimir Putin as a condemnation of his actions in Chechnya
Katie’s Heart: Albright’s favorite pin is a ceramic heart made by her daughter Katie when she was five years old
Berlin Wall: The heaviest pin in Albright’s collection, this brooch actually contains a piece of the Berlin Wall
Americana Pins: Albright loved to wear Americana pieces like this Uncle Sam top hat and eagle
Liberty: This Statue of Liberty pin was made specifically for Albright. One of the eyes is an upside-down clock, allowing her to check the time during a meeting, while others could find out the time from the other “eye.”
Assorted Dragonfly Pins: Albright’s collection includes various animals, from the nice (turtles and butterflies) to the nasty (spiders and carniverous animals)
Serpent: Perhaps Albright’s most famous pin, this serpent was purposely worn after Saddam Hussein compared her to an “unparalleled serpent.”
Cowgirl Hat: Albright considers Denver her hometown, so it follows that she would have an assortment of Western pins, like this one, in her collection
Blue Bird: This stunning brooch was worn (with its head facing down) in 1996 in remembrance of Cuban exiles who were shot down by Cuban fighter pilots. The incident led to one of Albright’s most memorable quotes as Secretary of State: “Frankly, this is not cojones; this is cowardice.”
Breaking the Glass Ceiling: As the first female Secretary of State, Albright certainly broke the glass ceiling for those that followed her (Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton)
Colorful Bird: Some of Albright’s pins were worn just for fun
Hear No Evil: During NATO’s 50th anniversary summit, Albright, President Bill Clinton, and Secretary of Defense William Cohen were photographed acting out the well-known “hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil” mantra. Albright wore this pin when meeting with Vladimir Putin as a condemnation of his actions in Chechnya
Katie’s Heart: Albright’s favorite pin is a ceramic heart made by her daughter Katie when she was five years old
Berlin Wall: The heaviest pin in Albright’s collection, this brooch actually contains a piece of the Berlin Wall
Americana Pins: Albright loved to wear Americana pieces like this Uncle Sam top hat and eagle
Liberty: This Statue of Liberty pin was made specifically for Albright. One of the eyes is an upside-down clock, allowing her to check the time during a meeting, while others could find out the time from the other “eye.”
